A door latch device for a motor vehicle comprises an engagement section which engages with a striker on the car body and an operating section for controlling the engagement section. The operating section comprises a locking lever driven by a motor with a remote control switch and a key cylinder outside a door; an interconnecting lever connected to the locking lever and driven by a handle on the door; and other levers. The locking lever and the interconnecting lever are movable between an unlocking position for opening the door with the handle and a locking position in which the door cannot be opened with the handle as disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3736267.
However, in the conventional door latch device for a motor vehicle, the worm wheel for transmitting motor power to the locking lever is disposed to align with the locking lever along its thickness. The operating section becomes thicker. With increase in the number of other parts, there are a lot of parts for coupling each element to each other at an operating-force transmitting path between the motor and the interconnecting lever, thereby making its structure more complicated.
In view of the disadvantages, it is an object of the invention to provide a door latch device for a motor vehicle in which an operating section is made smaller, the number of connections at operating force transmitting path between a motor and an interconnecting lever being as small as possible to simplify the structure of the operating section.